Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Kimono Uno

It is a balmy 27 C (81 F) here today peeps! Considering the normal average temperature for March in these parts is 6 C (42 F), this is a reason for celebration! We have been having unseasonably warm weather for the last week and a half. The sunny, warm days are welcome to stay for as long as they like!

Since the weather was so darned fabulous today, I was feeling like bright colours. So, I popped on a recent creation, the Diane Kimono Dress from Serendipity Studio. The addition of some strappy red sandals and a turquoise with coral necklace and I was out the door, ready to enjoy the day.

The fabric was from a free bundle from Fabric Mart - another of the awesome rayon wovens they had a while back. I must admit that when I first got the fabric I was a bit skeptical. The colours are not really "my" colours and the bold pattern is a tad loud (okay, it's bloody well screeching). However, the fabric kept making eyes at me every time I opened the fabric closet. So, I succumbed to its fibre wiles and used it despite my reservations. Well, I'm glad I did. I got a ton of compliments on my dress today, which is a sure fire way of elevating a so-so garment to superstar status!

But, let's talk a bit about the pattern. The design of this dress is quite simple to put together and so easy to wear. The pattern gives you many design options - the crossover bodice, with cut-on sleeve, can be paired with a slim skirt, a fuller skirt or a tiered skirt and the garment can be finished with varying widths of hem and sleeve bands. The torso is nipped in at the waist with a drawstring made of self fabric.

In the pattern envelope, there are several inspiration photos of sample dresses, each made with two or more coordinating fabrics. However, I decided to stick with the entire dress made from one single fabric - I didn't want to get too fancy on my first go 'round (which I have dubbed my Kimono Uno). I also settled on using the fuller skirt, combined with 1.5" bands at sleeve and hem.

After some flat pattern measuring, I cut out XS, with no modifications. This proved to be a good choice and I was fairly pleased with the fit. My only complaint is with the width and depth of the neckline - for my small frame, the neck is a bit too big for my comfort. I will be fixing this issue for future dresses.

I have plans to sew up many more Diane Kimono dresses. This pattern will certainly get a lot of mileage this spring. It's fast to sew and it provides a ton of style possibilities. I can't wait to start mixing and matching fabrics and design elements to create some interesting dresses. So, stay tuned, because my creativity has been unleashed.